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Show 10& the passage of the Sixteenth session of Amendment during the "coming ' I to plead om'Pago 00.)' (Continued J jot each1 I nd I Yfdua' .should come and take 'sl tenlstad fofliey' cpniyic v Itsbl f lions and bur ln ioeveAta( ),h0oBaHln pilgrim1' sire)? gt Congress. rinciplelsto , . thl'8ubjoct,:of plural marriage -' of;theVact jfeat our children and children's born and bred under the chl)dren)iiVe and practice 6f thlsriai pTitfti-ple- j tecliinjp Whcf tho saeredness of our ;tfaty 'to pre. serve hallowed ind pure iu their hearts the to altar of filial ' love though our higher duty of obedience to God,"is an in'spiratioh not to be rieglectedbr unheeded. It fs the Imperative duty and Unalienable right "of eVery tvoman to choose her religious path in lifer nd Jhis we have done to theerJecfc, answering of heart and conscience. To me there is but one alternative besldetho .fajth .o? the Latter:day. Saints, and that is Infidelity the shoreless deep to which too many are surely drifting. As to securing .to , ourselves a path Jn Ibis life without ipeTplexities and trials, can this security be found where there is only one wife, any more than In the family of plural marriage? Investigation says not. There-for- e we believe, and are constrained to say, that if the progressive spirit of the age and tfuo Christian sympathy arid laber be directed toward the redemption and elevation of the myriads of wronged and- abandoned women, abounding In all great cities, to the rearing and education of the thousands of illegitimate children, and to the enactment of such laws that shall lay the axe at the root of this evil, that very soon a feeling of peace and goodwill would fill tho hearts of the nation, and the spirit of mobocracy, that would invade the homes of .the saints, depart from the face of thejand. The following preamble and resolutions were read by Miss Annie Wells, which, on motion, were unanimously adopted : i sub-ordina- te . , , - : TREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS. Wiiereas, We? women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter, day 8aints,have been misjudged and misrepresented to the na- tion, by those in onr midst, of our own sex, in regard to our most; sacred rights the rights which pertain to the holy relations of wifehood and motherhood, we do hereby earnestly, solemnly and emphatically declare our true sentiments, and invito a thorough and impartial investigation of our '" cause: wherefore: , Resolved, That women of we, the Church, of Jesus Christ of Latter-daSaints, and loyal American citizens, claim tho right guaranteed by, tho Constitution, that 'Congress shall make no law rejecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the;free exercise thereof;1', a right which wo seek to exercise, not to the injury of others, but within the palo of peace and e justice, of life, liberty and pursuit of to tiro dictates of our own according '. conscience?. , y hap-jiln- . i ,. KE30LVED,1 That wo protest against any Enactment . of any laws which do. prive 'Verican'f citizens, whether male or female, pf; any constitutional right; and that wo male a united effort to secure the unanimous voice of the women of our faith, t I I - i avow principles will harm no one. Then why ao we so persecuted? To answer briefly, because these principles are of God, who has set, his hand again to establish his name in the earth, by introducing these very principles, which tho adversary cannpt and will never overthrow. And those who per- , secute tjis principle will suffer for it, sure. I can say truly that I am satilfied for one ' and I do'nt guess at it, nor is It because some one has told jnc but it is because the Spirit of God hasborrie testimony to me of the truth of thi3 work, and of its truthfulness I am a witness. Then vvby are peoplo opposed to it? It is because they do not know it, and, because they do not seek to know it. There is but .one way that anybody can find out the truth of our doctrines, and that going to God, tho Author of them, in all humility and honesty of heart, asking Him in the name of Jesus whether they are of Him or of man. To t hose who have com e a moiTg "us, and who are endeavoring to put down this principle of plural marriage, I would say that for one, I thank 3'ou for your good Intentions in trying to suppress what you think is wrong; but let me say to you, and I now speak the sentiments of by far the larger part of this congregation, bestowyour sympathy upon those who need it; go to tho large cities of our land and reclaim your poor fallen sisters; they need if, wo don't, and we ask to bo let alone. We are perfectly able to stand on our own foundation, by the help of our Heavenly Father; and IeTroe tell you that He is at the helm, Ho will ee us safely through, and will bless all those, who seek to honor and respect virtue; and those who do it not will meet justice. Beware, then, you injure not the innocent, for justice awaits all thatjjhall bo found guilty of doing so, so sure as God lives. our belief in the doctrine of the order of marriage, a doctrino which was revealed to and practised by God's people in past ages, and is now re-established on the earth, by divine command of Him who is the same yesterday, A doctrino which, if and forever. lived up to and carried but under thedirec tibn of the precepts pertaining to itand of x the higher principles of our nature, would' conduce to the long HfeV strength and glory of the people practising it; and w .therefore ertdorse it, as one of the most import anti.principles of our holy religion,.; and claim the right of, its practice. Resolved, ' That, we do truly appro elate the efforts and labors of the noble ladies of the National Woman's Suffrage Association, who, though opposed in their feelings to plural marriage, and without sympathy for our religious views, bravely defended the cause of woman's fights in Pa-Mriarch- t tre '.'over., nd .;ripjtllhstanding ajiat 'neglected calumny.8cb!Jetire;s: the'gtea't importance -- v Resolved, That we solemnly fathers,-ti-i exodus vtltiti '&lni&ffS-4Gm&ri&day Hhfr enforced necesslty'of vindicating" and pre.: serving the most sacred principle of our faith and the honor AwUintegrity of our. selves and Juujsbnds. . Tho days of silence , and ient'enduranw jjf caliimny oh the women of the Latter-da- y Saints concerning . to-da- al .. , y ;? ; , js-b- Ilfah, fn this, public opportunity of tendering them an expression of our sincere and heartfelt J hanks. Resolved, That tho women of Utah memorialize Congress, setting forth and their grievances, that, they, take such other justifiable steps as may be necessary to defend themselves against the ruthless, and violent assault now being made upon their sacred and constitutional rights. Mr?. Phcebo Woodruff then said: My sisters, I can say that I st?nd before you as a witness of tho truthfulness of the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daSaints. It has been upwards of y forty years since my first acquaintance with these doctrines, this people and the Prophet Joseph Smith. I knew him to be an honorable, virtuous and pure man, and hi brother Hyrum also. They strove as much as4hey could to bless the saints and people of this geneiation by the teaching of true and righteous principles. If my memory serves me rightly, the Prophet was arrestee: iorty different times accused of crimes, but nothing was ever proved against him. And after laboring until ho was 38 years of age, he with his brother Hyrum was murdered, and for what? For teaching the Gospel of Jesus as revealed to him from the heavens, Mrs. E. 15. Wells: ac-cus- ed the trials we have to endure I intended to have written an address for this meeting, but have been ill and unablo to do so, yet I thought I could not let this opportunity pass without offering a few words. I ieel that we are in earnest; that the time has como when wo can no longer bo silent, as we are assailed, and that too by our own sex, who, it seems, would, if possible, deprivo us of the claim to wifehood and motherhood, by destroying our most sacred relations and crushing our most holy affections. lint they know not what they do. Were they conscious of the were their undertakings to be successful, they would cease their efforts and shrink from the task. The Lord Is with this' people; this ifact has been plainly manifest. None, I think, who aro possessed of reason can question that, whether our principles of religion are true or not. We have already proclaimed our wrongs and sufferings (brought about conso-quenc- , to-da-y. y Mrs. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am very much pleased to meet with so many of my sisters on this momentous occasion. I love woman: .it i3 one of my sentiments; and I am proud to say that among tho women of th Latter-da-y Saints there are as true and noble women as can " be found anywhere else In the world, with desires and aims as lofty and as pure, Although we are charged with nearly everything that it is possible for our sex to be of, yet we feel we have those motives within us that buoy us up and bear us above of which the whole world was in ignorance, and when those wicked men committed this act, they knew not they had killed the "best friend they had upon the earth. However, that deed must be accounted for, justicetand Judgment will take their place. I was brought up to regard strictly the principles of morality; and when the order of Celestial Marriage was introduced into the Church, I thought it the most heinous thing I ever heard of, and I opposed it to the utmost of my power, thinking I was doing, right. But I began to consider and reflect, and I learned that it came through the -- prophet of God. 1 regarded it in an earnest light, and therefore I went to God, my heavenly Father, and inquired of Him of the truth of this doctrine. He made it manifest to me as plainly as I could have wished that it was of Him, vand that it camo a3 a principle of salvation, to the women of this generation. If I am proud of T . .1 invthWr in thlj nrnrlrl If fa the prlncloie of nlural marrla mained among tho people called "Mormons" and am numbered with them tam acquainted with their doctrine.?, and I declare to this large congregation, apd I would that I could do so to the whole world, that they teach the principles of truth, and righteousness, of virtue and purity. Such 4 ea |
